Someone Like You
by blackwand84
Summary: This story is part three of "Your Fight Is My Fight" and it is also part two of "When I Was At School." I would highly suggest at least reading parts one and two of YFIMF before attempting to read this, and it would probably be a good idea to read part one of WIWAS as well to better understand what is going on.
1. Old Friend

_**For story extras and to interact with the character "Tamara" follow her on Twitter! tamarasnape**_

* * *

"Are you so sure about this Sasha?" asked Remy, watching his longtime girlfriend seal up the letter she was preparing to send. "It's been so long since you have been back there. Your life is here. _Our _life is here."

Sasha sighed and set the envelope down on her writing desk. "I'm sure. Our life will still be here. I'll just be away for…"

"Most of the next year?" he finished, giving her an annoyed look.

_The French are so good at looking irritated _she thought. _It's a true gift_. "Yes, I suppose so." She stood up and put her arms around him, craning her neck to look up into his eyes. "As you said though, our life is here. I will always come back. I'm not leaving you. I'm just going for a year to do a favor for an old teacher of mine. It's not permanent."

"You say that is why you are doing it, but also I know there is more on your mind than that. _He_ is there." Remy pushed her short hair away from her face and cupped her cheek with his large hand.

"_He _has a wife. He has had a wife for many years now, and they have children together. She teaches at Hogwarts too. No room for any shenanigans. You have nothing to fear."

He shrugged, giving her a pouty look that made her smile. "Forgive me my misgivings, but I know that a large piece of your beautiful heart remains in his possession. Whether there are _shenanigans_ or not is the least of my worries. Sex is sex but _love_ is something else entirely."

"I love you" Sasha insisted.

"I know that you do. I just know that you love him too, and you'll probably never stop. Poor bastard does not know what he lost."

She shook her head. "He didn't lose me Remy; he rather emphatically tossed me out of his life. There is a big difference. Besides, that was a very long time ago."

"He was a fool." He leaned down to kiss her.

Remy was a very large wizard. He was quite a bit taller than Severus, her long lost teenage love. He was very burly where Severus had been thin. His long mane was fair, like sand on a beach, where Severus was raven-haired. His eyes were a soft amber where Severus' were black as night. Remy was loud, boisterous, and warmly funny, where Severus was quiet, reserved, and often sarcastic. If Sasha had been looking for an opposite of the young man who had broken her heart, she had done well in finding Remy Girard.

Of course, Severus was not a young man anymore. Decades had passed since they had last seen each other, and both of them had changed much over the years. Sasha was fifty-one years old now, and she knew that meant Severus was fifty-three. Sasha's hair would be graying now if she didn't use a coloring potion on it every few weeks.

_I wonder if his hair is gray?_ _He wouldn't color it. He wouldn't care._

"Off you go again, off into space… off thinking about _him_?" Remy teased.

"No! I most certainly am not!" she lied.

Sasha was more fit now than she had been as a teenage girl. Her years as an auror had put her into very good shape, and she was proud of her strength and figure. She kept her brown hair in a short bob now, where in her youth she had worn it long. Her hazel eyes had some wrinkles around them these days, but she wore her age well. She knew that she and Remy made an attractive couple.

_I wonder what his wife looks like? I haven't seen a picture since they were married. She's younger. Maybe early forties now? She was beautiful. A beautiful young American. The last thing I would have expected…_

"Yoo-hoo? Can you come back now?"

Sasha blushed, and patted his chest. "Yes dear, sorry. I've got a lot on my mind at the moment I'm afraid. The closest I've ever come to teaching is barking at some of the aurors in training, and I don't think that barking is what Professor McGonagall has in mind for this situation."

"You will do just fine!" he assured her, grinning proudly. "You have a lot of experience with the subject and that is what is most important. Those children will learn a lot from you." He chuckled. "Once they get past wondering what has hit them, that is."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's what I'm worried about. I know I have a bit of a reputation for being… well, a bit stern, I suppose. I wasn't always that way you know. As a girl I was quite friendly most of the time. As friendly as a Slytherin could get, anyway. Adri and I were always laughing. Sadly, after she was gone not much seemed to ever be terribly funny anymore."

Remy nodded. He had never met Sasha's best friend, but she had spoken enough about Adrianne through the years that he felt as if he knew her as well.

"I've often wondered if he ever heard what happened to her" Sasha mused, sadly. "I wonder if he cared. It's hard to say with him."

* * *

"Severus what is it?" Tamara asked, eying her husband suspiciously. "You look like Delores Umbridge has been at the door."

Severus sat down next to where she was sitting with baby Tharen, and lightly ran his fingers over the newborn's feathery brown hair. "I still can't believe he got your hair. I didn't expect that."

"You've mentioned that a few times dear. Please don't change the subject. What is wrong with you? Has there been bad news?"

"Your hair, your nose, your chin, somebody's brow…"

"My father's."

"Ah, right. My eyes. He's lovely."

Tam nodded. "Yes, he's perfect, but I asked you a question."

"Your quickest birth yet, and he's got such a mellow temperament. Certainly no regrets…"

"Severus!"

He sighed. "No. Not bad news necessarily, just… uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? You can't just leave it at that. What's going on?" She carefully handed the sleeping baby to his father so she could stand up and stretch.

Adjusting the infant in his arms and putting his feet up on the coffee table he wiggled down into the sofa cushions until he found a position he knew he wouldn't mind being in for a while. "There was an owl from the Headmistress."

"Let's see it."

"It's in my trouser pocket and I can't reach it now. It'll have to wait…"

Tam bent down and crammed her hand into his pocket to yank out the letter, and he gave her a dirty look.

She read out loud "My Dear Snapes… Oh Min's so funny… My Dear Snapes, I am writing to let you know that we've worked out our staffing issues for the upcoming school year. I've asked Dody Edmonton to cover Tamara's classes until she returns from her leave and she has agreed to do so most enthusiastically. The witch I had in mind for the Defense position has offered to take on the class for one year. It was not what I had hoped for, but for now it will have to do. Severus, you will probably remember a Ms. Sasha Innes from your own time as a student. She was a bit younger than yourself, but she was a member of your house. I would appreciate it if you would try to help her get reacquainted with the school and settled into her new position here. I hope the wee lad is doing well, and I want to come and visit him before the start of term. Tell Sevarun and Sevina that their Auntie Min says hello! I shall be awaiting your reply. Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

When she had finished reading Tam looked back at Severus. He appeared to be completely ignoring her, watching Tharen sleep contentedly.

"Well, I know it isn't Dody Edmonton you're worried about" she said. "So who is this witch?"

"Who?" he asked, pretending again to be oblivious to the subject at hand.

"Sasha Innes" Tam pushed. "Who is she, and why does it bother you that she's coming to Hogwarts?"

He shot her an irritated look. "You do ask an awful lot of obnoxious questions don't you?" He sighed again. "If you must know, she was… an acquaintance of mine when I was at school. We didn't get along."

"Ah, I see" she said, nodding. "So it's like Remus again? Someone who was a pest when you were a student?"

He could tell by her expression that she was testing him. After all of their years together, she could certainly see that there was more to the story that he wasn't telling her, and that wasn't even taking her empathic abilities into account.

"Sit" he grumbled.

Smirking, she sat back down next to him on the sofa.

"Miss Innes was two years behind me at Hogwarts. She was a Slytherin girl, as the letter said. I didn't pay much attention to her at all until one day when she rather foolishly stepped into the middle of a conflict I was having with Potter and his band of thugs." He glanced at her to make sure his words didn't wound. "She disarmed Potter, and… I ended up needing a visit to the infirmary. While I was there, she and a friend of hers came to check on me. Needless to say, I was confused."

"I can imagine" Tam mumbled, transfixed by this story from his past. He so rarely shared anything like this with her that it felt like a sacred moment.

"I later defended her against some young Gryffindor witches who attacked her for defending me, and I ended up tutoring her in potions. We became friends."

Tam's eyes widened, and Severus blushed. Her amazement made him squirm.

"I didn't think that you really had any…" she stopped, biting her lip.

"Any friends?" he asked her, smirking with amusement.

"Well… other than… you know…"

"This was after Lily had stopped talking to me. I should have mentioned that it was my sixth year. Anyway, that summer Sasha wrote to me often. It was a particularly unpleasant summer, which of course for me is really saying something. Having someone to talk to was a great relief."

"What happened?" Tamara breathed, more enthralled by the minute.

"We sat together on the train back to Hogwarts. She… well she flirted with me. She leaned on my shoulder, and I put my arm around her. For me it was like some sort of miracle."

Suddenly Tam found herself getting a bit nervous.

"I was thrilled until I saw Lily walk by holding Potter's hand. That was how I found out they were a couple. I don't remember much else about that day, other than that Sasha was there for me. She… well she tried to make it a bit less horrible. I was, as you can imagine, quite wounded. There were some very difficult days, but she pulled me out of my funk. When I caught her asking for help with a potion that I'd already showed her how to make, she told me that it was just an excuse to spend time with me. She said that she'd had… feelings…" he started to fidget with Tharen's blanket. "For me."

"I can't believe you've never told me all of this" Tam whispered, feeling a bit hurt. "I had no idea."

He shrugged. "It isn't as important as you're thinking it is. This is _my_ life we are talking about. Obviously it didn't have a happy ending. We did in fact begin… well, seeing each other, I suppose, as teenagers will do. We experimented a bit. It was nice for a while."

Tamara gasped. "Experimented? You told me that I was your first…"

"You _were_" he explained quickly, not wanting this to deteriorate into an argument. "We never… did _that_."

"But you did other things?" She looked even more hurt, and Severus cringed.

"Yes. Just listen and you'll understand why I never wanted to mention it to you. I thought that perhaps I could come to love Sasha. I thought that perhaps she could come to love me. I thought that she could be someone who could help me let go of Lily and make it so I wouldn't have to be so alone anymore. I even started to question whether or not I still wanted to join the death eaters after graduation. I was actually beginning to think I might have a chance to be happy. She meant a great deal to me until I found out that it was all a lie."

Tamara closed her eyes, guilt overtaking her jealousy. How could she have been selfish enough to feel threatened after all he had been through?

"I made a mistake" he said. "I reacted in the wrong way when her best friend was injured by another death eater in training." He looked miserable, and Tam's heart ached for him. "As usual, I made the wrong decision and we quarreled. It was horrible being without her and knowing it was my fault. I decided that I would make it right, even though that meant going against the dark group that I had been associating with. I knew that if I defied them there would be retaliation and I would no longer be welcomed into the fold upon my graduation. I decided that she meant more to me and I wanted to prove myself to her."

Tam smiled with pride for him. His willingness to do anything for those he loved had always been one of her favorites of his many noble qualities.

"Just before I had the chance to tell her I was approached by one of her friends. This girl informed me that Potter had paid Sasha to start a relationship with me and the plan was for her to humiliate me. When I confronted her she cried and tried to convince me that it was a lie but with my track record of luck with people I knew better." He squinted his eyes as he remembered. "She even tried to tell me that she loved me. It was not pleasant. That was the last of our interactions. I graduated and went on to join the psychopath and his gang of demented murderers. I haven't heard much of her since. I was told that she slept with Black a few times." He made a disgusted face.

"Sirius? This chick had a fling with Sirius? Wow." Tam shook her head. "Ok. I understand why you aren't exactly thrilled about seeing her again."

He nodded. "Yes. That's putting it mildly. I don't imagine she's very keen on running into me either so I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that she agreed to take the job even for a year."

"I hope there's not some kind of vendetta there? I mean, she doesn't really have any reason to hold a grudge against _you _does she? She was the one in the wrong. Unless…"

He shook his head so vigorously that the baby started to stir in his arms. "Don't even suggest it."

"Well you never know! Maybe she really did love you. I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time that someone ended up falling for a person they were supposed to be working against. Maybe she regretted what she had been hired for and just didn't have the guts to tell you."

Severus let his head fall back against the sofa. "Frankly I hope not. If that were the case…"

Tam rested her cheek on his arm. "No, honey, don't start worrying about it. You have nothing to feel guilty about. You couldn't know. Either way, it wasn't your fault."

"Her best friend killed herself not terribly long after we parted company. I heard about it because the girl was being forced into marriage with a death eater by her parents. She decided that poison would be preferable. I wasn't surprised, knowing Adrianne. She was almost certainly better off dead. I was sorry to hear it though, of course. She and Sasha were extraordinarily close. Part of me, in spite of what Sasha had done, wished that I could have comforted her."

"That's because you've always been a good soul, really, even when you were trying not to be" Tam assured him, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "You're a good soul, and a wonderful daddy, and the best husband I could have ever hoped for. I love you, and I'm sorry for all of the awful things you've been through in your life. I wish I could take it all away."

Severus brushed his lips across baby Tharen's forehead. "Darling, you did."


	2. Why Are You So Shy?

Sasha surveyed her new classroom with a smile. Even though it had been decades, being in this room again brought her right back to her own days as a student. She had sat right here in this room with Adri, learning how to defend herself against dark magic. The room was exactly as she remembered it. It even _smelled_ the same.

"I didn't think I would feel this way, but it's good to be back" she whispered, patting a wall affectionately.

She didn't want to go to the great hall. In fact, it was what she had been dreading the most, because she knew that _he _would be there. It was ridiculous, of course. She had faced countless evil beings in her life as an auror, and there was very little in the world these days that frightened her, but the thought of coming face to face with Severus Snape after all this time made her sick to her stomach.

As a new teacher, skipping out would not be an option. McGonagall was introducing her to the students and staff tonight, and if she weren't there it wouldn't look very good. The last thing she wanted to do was start disappointing people on her first night back in the castle.

"Bit of calming draught would have been appreciated tonight" she mumbled, steeling herself for the walk down to the great hall. It felt more like walking to the gallows. "I wonder what will be worse, seeing him or seeing her?" she muttered to herself on her way through the corridors. "Maybe they'll take turns giving me the evil eye. That'll be pleasant."

Sasha forced herself to stride through the doors to the great hall without hesitation. To falter now simply would not do. She had come here to do a job, and she wasn't going to let her fear of an old flame keep her from doing it with dignity.

Against her will, her eyes immediately locked on to the one person on the planet who could strike terror into her heart.

_Oh bloody hell he's right there and he's so…commanding! _

In spite of herself, Sasha smiled. She couldn't help it. When she thought of the quiet, brilliant but often awkward young man she had known and loved growing up into the powerfully composed wizard she was looking at, it made her want to jump for joy. Even from across the room, he was obviously a force to be reckoned with.

_Good for you love. Good for you. _Suddenly she felt her chest tighten painfully, and it became hard to breath. Her eyes started to water and her first instinct was to run from the room as fast as she could and get the hell out of here so she could apparate back to France where she belonged. What had made her think she could do this? Pride? Clearly pride wasn't enough.

Apparently, what they said about true love being undying was not just something clever to put in muggle greeting cards and sappy songs. Even after all of these years, one look was enough to tell her that she still loved him so much it hurt.

It was then, naturally, at this most emotionally inconvenient moment, that he sensed himself being watched and his black eyes met her tear-filled hazel ones. His expression was completely unreadable. He simply stared at her blankly, as if she were of no more consequence to him than a piece of the furniture. She wouldn't have believed it if she weren't living it, but that was actually far more hurtful than it would have been if he'd glared or tried to hex her.

_Oh what do I do? What do I do? I can't run away…_

Sasha forced herself to break the eye contact. That was step one. She took a deep breath and blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall and make her look foolish, or worse, completely mad. She was a very strong witch, and falling to pieces was not an option. This ridiculousness needed to be brought under control immediately.

_Right then. No more nonsense. You are not a silly school girl anymore. You are better than this. _

To prove to herself that she had her emotions back under control Sasha allowed herself to glance over at him again. He was talking to another Professor, a young brown-haired man that she didn't recognize. Judging by his clothing, she guessed he must have taught Herbology.

_I wonder where the little Mrs. is this evening. Oh well. None of my business._

Sasha walked up to the head table as calmly as she could possibly manage and took a seat on the end farthest away from Severus.

"Hello there Miss Innes! Haven't seen you in years! How are ye?" boomed Rubeus Hagrid from his spot next to her.

Sasha smiled at him, grateful for the distraction. "I'm very well Hagrid, thank you. How are you? It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

The big man nodded. "Oh I'm fine, just fine! How quick the years fly by…"

"Yes indeed they do" she said quickly. "Hagrid, could you indulge my curiosity by answering a question for me?"

"Sure! Fire away!"

This was embarrassing, and she wouldn't have dared ask anyone else, but Hagrid was… well, Hagrid, and she just had to know. "You probably remember that I was at school with Professor Snape? I was looking forward to meeting his wife" she lied, feeling a bit ashamed of herself. "And I see she isn't here. Do you know if she'll be turning up anytime soon?"

Hagrid nodded, smiling. "Madame Snape should be back in a couple of weeks I imagine. She's off on her maternity leave, as her and the Professor have just had a baby! Another little boy. I 'aven't seen him yet, but Professor McGonagall told me that this one looks like his mummy. The other two are both the spittin' likeness of their dad." He pointed over to the Slytherin table. "In fact, there they are right there. Sevarun's the tall chap in the middle and little Sevina's right across from him."

The girl caught them looking and she gave Hagrid a shy smile. He waved at her enthusiastically.

"Great kids, those two! As brilliant as their dad and sweet as their mum" he said, still waving.

He was right about them looking like Severus. The boy was nearly an exact copy of his father in his younger days. She did notice he hadn't inherited his father's tendency towards oily hair, however, and thought that he was rather fortunate in that. The girl was something right out of a children's fairy story, with her long jet black hair, black eyes, and her fair complexion. _Must have got her mother's nose, lucky girl._

"Well, they certainly do resemble him, you're right" she said, struggling hard to not to sound disturbed. "I hadn't heard they were expecting another, although I don't get much news in France about old friends." She felt silly, calling Severus an old friend, since they had most definitely parted as enemies, at least as far as he was concerned.

"There's Professor Snape right down there" Hagrid said helpfully, pointing with his huge finger. "He's right next to Professor Longbottom."

Sasha nodded; inwardly horrified at the attention he was calling to them.

"Ya know, it was Mr. Filch and me that found him and Tamara after the battle was over" he said conspiratorially. "There was blood all over the place, and poor Tam was beside herself. That snake really did a number on 'im. Everybody thought he was dead. He surely looked dead, when we first walked in."

Sasha wasn't sure what to say, so she nodded again. The thought of Severus mangled and near death made her chest tighten up again.

"Tamara started screamin' at us to help, and I grabbed 'im up and took 'im to the castle. She saved his life that night. If she hadn't been there he never would'a made it." He sighed, staring off into space as he recounted his tale. Suddenly he grinned again and looked back down at Sasha. "I walked Tam down the aisle at their weddin'. It was lovely. Cried like a baby, I did. Couldn't help it."

Sasha forced herself to smile, but she was immensely grateful when the conversation was cut off by the Headmistress.

Minerva McGonagall stepped up to the podium to address the gathered crowd, and Sasha was reminded again how many years had passed since she had last been to Hogwarts.

"Welcome!" said the Headmistress, silencing the rumble of chatter that had been filling the room. "Now that everyone is settled in with their houses, the time has come for us to get down to business, as they say. I do hope you've all had an enjoyable summer holiday, and are now ready to commit yourselves to education once again. We do have two staffing changes this year, although one of them is temporary. Madame Snape will not be joining us for another three weeks, as she is on maternity leave. Miss Dody Edmonton will be conducting her classes in her stead until she returns."

Everyone turned to look at a blushing, fidgeting girl at the Hufflepuff table.

"In related news, I am told that Madame Snape and young Tharen Frederick are both doing very well. If anyone wishes to congratulate our Potions Master on becoming a father again I suggest you all do so this evening, as I imagine he'd rather get it all over with at once."

Sasha snorted, and snuck a peek at Severus to see his reaction to the little joke. He turned his head to shoot McGonagall an irritated look but noticed Sasha looking at him and immediately faced forward again.

"Now, as you have no doubt heard" continued the Headmistress. "We also have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. I would like you all to give Miss Sasha Innes a warm welcome."

The students obediently applauded, and Sasha again forced herself to smile and nod. She knew very well that she'd likely end up with a reputation as a hard-ass so she figured she'd better at least try to start out in a friendly way.

Feeling eyes on her face, she turned again and this time it was her turn to catch Severus looking. Their eyes met for a moment before he quickly snapped his head back around again.

_He clapped for me_ she thought, annoyed with herself for feeling pleased by this. _Perhaps he doesn't loathe me quite as much anymore after all._

Severus willed his cheeks not to redden when she caught him looking at her. He shouldn't have done that, he knew. It was best, at this point, to avoid any sort of interaction with her until he'd had more time to survey the situation. He needed to deduce what exactly her plans were with regards to him before he set anything in motion.

Tamara had urged him not to make assumptions and had actually made him feel a bit guilty for so readily cutting Sasha out of his life all those years ago without having any solid proof of her betrayal. He'd been so hurt by what she'd done, or what he believed she had done, that he hadn't been willing to take any chances. He'd never admit the depth of that wound to anyone but Tamara, of course, but it had hit him rather hard. Sasha had been a very positive influence in his life until their relationship was exposed to be false. Finding out that it had all been a lie had been one more severe blow to his already sorely battered heart.

She looked good, in his opinion. She had aged well. Her hair was still brown, but he guessed that was probably due to a coloring potion. She had it short now, and he thought it suited her, although he had been very fond of her long silken tresses during their time together as teenagers. She also dressed much more conservatively than she used to, although he supposed that simply stood to reason. A witch her age and in her profession who wore short skirts low cut tops would not likely be thought of very well by her colleagues.

_Oh hell… I wish Tamara were here_ he thought to himself, feeling a headache coming on. What a ridiculous situation for him to be facing at his time of life! If Tam were with him she would know what to make of it all right away. She would probably even be able to sort out exactly what had happened in his seventh year that had started this whole mess to begin with, and then he would know whether or not he owed Sasha Innes an apology.

Before his marriage he wouldn't have cared. He would have been content to believe what he had always believed and to hell with proof, or doubts, or any of it. It wouldn't have mattered because back then he had believed that even if someone hadn't betrayed him yet, that was simply because they hadn't had a proper chance to do so and they would if he gave them one. Before his marriage, he had to admit, his way of thinking had been quite a bit simpler.

It wasn't that he didn't have a conscience. Oh no, that was not the case at all. He could torture himself with guilt better than anyone else he knew. It had simply been a different kind of conscience. Before Tamara had shown him otherwise, he had convinced himself that _feelings _were for the weak, and of no consequence, whereas accidentally getting one's former best friend murdered by being aligned with a psychotic dark wizard was something that one should hate oneself over for all eternity.

Tamara had, though it admittedly had taken years of reconditioning, changed that way of thinking. She had shown him that mistakes were simply part of being human, but _deliberately_ or carelessly wounding other people, even emotionally, was a grievous crime against one's fellow man and should always be atoned for.

Later that evening, when he arrived home to Peebles via apparition, Severus made a point of discussing absolutely everything he could think of _other_ than Sasha Innes. He had wished for Tamara's input at the time, but now, after the fact, he just couldn't stand the thought of talking about it with her.

"Mr. Longbottom extends his congratulations, and says he will be glad to have you back when it is time for you to return" he told her, nearing the end of his list of things to talk about after he had already mentioned their children, Minerva, and Dody Edmonton's bright red face when she was announced as Tam's substitute.

Tam grinned. "Aw, that's nice. Tell him I said thank you."

"Certainly."

"Did you see her?" she asked finally, knowing full well that he would not volunteer the information.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I was hoping we didn't have to talk about that" he grumbled.

She shrugged. "Well don't then, if you don't want to tell me. Fine."

_Oh hell no, I'm not that bloody stupid_ he thought. He knew what that meant in woman-speak and he wasn't going to step in that mess. He was far too tired this evening to have to get himself out of that sort of trouble, and he really didn't feel like sleeping on the sofa.

"There's not much to tell, but _yes_ I did see her. She was in the great hall, of course. We didn't speak."

Tam stared at him, and he wasn't sure what exactly else there was for him to say.

"That's it?" she asked.

He nodded. "That's it."

"It doesn't seem like that was it" she pushed.

He sighed. "It was awkward, being in the same room with her after all these years. I wasn't exactly thrilled. I'm still not terribly thrilled, and I'd really like to just forget about it, if that's all right."

Feeling guilty, Tam left her seat so that she could drop into his lap. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be pushy. It's just weird, knowing that you're at Hogwarts with the great flame of your youth and I'm stuck here wondering what's going through your head."

He chuckled. "Jealous?"

She giggled and nodded. "A bit."

"Good" he teased, giving her ponytail a tug. "I like to keep you on your toes. If you think you can be replaced you'll behave yourself."

"Jerk" she muttered, giggling again. She knew he was kidding.

"Yes" he agreed, kissing her forehead.


	3. Out of the Blue, Uninvited

Sasha found, much to her own surprise, that she actually rather enjoyed teaching. It was a bit of an uphill climb with most of the students, unfortunately, as Defense Against the Dark Arts had gone largely out of fashion all these years after the final defeat of Lord Voldemort. At first, Sasha had found herself struggling to keep the little buggers awake in her classroom.

She had been in the middle of a class of third years, having to repeatedly admonish them for daydreaming, when she'd finally decided it was time to change her approach.

"Right. This isn't working is it?" she sighed. The students had the decency to look sheepish. "None of you lot have had any of these dangers occur in your lifetimes and here I am prattling on out of a book at you. Let's try something else shall we?"

Nobody answered, and they looked a bit nervous. Sasha laughed.

"Ok. Some of you might have heard, as I am aware of how quickly gossip spreads 'round at this school… that prior to coming here as your professor I was an Auror back in France. Do any of you know any Aurors personally?"

Several hands were raised.

Sasha nodded approvingly. "Good. It's a respectable occupation, and I don't say that to oil my own broomstick. As an Auror, it was my job to track down dark wizards and bring them to justice. I realize that since the fall of Lord Voldemort…"

She paused as she noticed that there were a few gasps, and lots of nervous fidgeting at the mention of the name. _Some superstitions will never die._

"_Since_ the fall of Lord Voldemort you may not have heard of many dark wizards or witches of consequence, but I assure you, they are out there. Two years ago I arrested a woman who was posing as a nurse at a hospital in order to curse sick muggles. She murdered hundreds before it became apparent what she was up to. She was particularly fond of targeting children, as she enjoyed the suffering of the parents."

_Nothing captures the attention of a thirteen year old quite like the macabre._

"The year before that my partner and I hunted down a wizard who had started a cult in Paris by using magic to convince muggles that he was a reincarnated deity. He had several other wizards and witches assisting him in this endeavor, and he was responsible for assassinations, kidnappings, arsons, and many other unsavory attacks against humanity. He was very powerful, very clever, and completely mad, which made him very dangerous. My partner narrowly missed getting his head jinxed clean off, and I have a very unpleasant scar on my left shoulder as a souvenir of the day we brought him in. If I hadn't learned long ago the sort of things that you'll be taught throughout your years taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, I certainly would not be alive to stand here and talk to you now."

_Well, honestly, if I hadn't learned all that I never would have made it into the Auror Office in the first place… but that's beside the point, so never mind._

"Aside from dark magic, there are also many other things in the world that pose a very real threat to wizarding folk such as ourselves. There are creatures and beings out there that could deliver any of us to a fate far worse than death if we aren't prepared with the proper techniques for dealing with them. _That_ is why I am here. It is my job to give you the knowledge and the skill to be able to defend yourselves, and possibly, if I teach you well and you are most willing to learn, to go on in adulthood to defend others as Aurors yourselves."

She had their interest now, she could tell. There were no more drooping eyelids or bored yawns. They were all staring at her with wide eyes. A few of the Gryffindors were grinning with excitement, and Sasha had to bite back a smirk. _Typical_, she thought.

After that successful class she had repeated her speech for the others, and gone on from there in similar fashion. She would begin each lesson with either a personal story relating to the topic at hand, or a secondhand one that she'd heard from colleagues if she hadn't actually had any experience with the matter herself. By making the danger _real_ for them, and doing as much hands-on demonstration as she could possibly manage, she found that she was able to really reach them in a way she had never expected. It was exhilarating in its own way.

In spite of the fact that she was enjoying herself, she did make sure to keep a strict zero tolerance policy for nonsense. She had no problem handing out detentions when she felt they were warranted, and she had no mercy for repeat offenders. There would be no mucking about in her class. She wasn't here, so far away from Remy and her life in France, to be taken for a fool.

Outside of the classroom, readjusting to Hogwarts came fairly natural to her. Aside from exchanging some extremely awkward looks with Severus on occasion, on the whole it really wasn't that bad. She'd even made a friend, Professor Neville Longbottom, the Herbology teacher, when he'd told her that he had also been an Auror himself for a while.

Professor Longbottom was a close friend of the famous Harry Potter, who was now head of the British Auror Office, and he himself had played a great role in the final Battle of Hogwarts that had brought down Voldemort. Sasha had decided she liked him even more when he reluctantly revealed that it was he who had slain the evil serpent that had nearly taken the life of one Severus Snape.

"Yeah, I killed it. Found the sword in an old hat. We all just did as we had to, didn't we? So many were lost, but we kept fighting. I'm very proud of that, that we didn't give up. My parents were Aurors you know."

They were walking back from the great hall after lunch, chatting as they went.

"And now you teach about plants" she teased him.

He blushed and grinned. "Don't knock plants!" he insisted. "They did a lot of damage for our side during the battle here! Lots of usefulness in knowing about plants. They can also be just as dangerous as dark magic in the wrong hands or to someone who isn't prepared for them."

Sasha laughed. "I know that, I'm just teasing you! You're talking to a great lover of potions you see, so I've a great appreciation for horticulture. I remember your parents by the way. I didn't know them well, but they were at school here when I was. I'm sure they're very proud of you."

Neville smiled somewhat sadly. "Thank you. I think they are. They've let on that they are, on occasion. Well, in their own way." Then, wishing to get off of that subject, he said "If you were at school here then, and were a Slytherin with a liking of potions, then you must've been acquainted with our esteemed Potions Master."

Now it was Sasha's turn to become uncomfortable. "Oh, I was a bit, yes."

Neville chuckled. "You don't look very enthused about it. Being his usual delightfully charming self, was he?"

Sasha shrugged, but smirked.

The Herbology professor laughed again and stopped walking. He turned to Sasha and patted her on the shoulder. "Professor Snape isn't so bad when you get used to him. It took me a while too, I must admit. You know, he was my boggart for my first several years here as a student. Scared me to death."

Sasha snickered.

"I'm serious!" he said, still chuckling. "After the war though I realized that I didn't have to be afraid anymore because it doesn't do any good does it? It's better to stand up and go down fighting for what's right than spend your life running away in fear. Besides, Professor Snape said some really kind things to me when he was recovering. Shocked the hell out of me, and I'll never forget it. He and Tamara are good friends of mine."

"From what I've heard Madame Snape is a good friend of most people around here" Sasha muttered, a bit more irritably than she should have. Noticing Neville's suspicious look, she quickly corrected herself. "She must be quite a lovely witch."

Neville nodded. "Yeah, she is." Suddenly he looked to his left, backwards in the direction they'd been coming from, and his face lit up. "Hello Professor! We were just talking about your wife."

_Oh bollocks… _Sasha cringed inwardly. _What a nightmare!_

Severus looked at Sasha like she was some sort of irritating insect before turning back to Longbottom. "Really?" he asked coolly. "Whatever for?"

Noticing his old teacher's suspicious and rather nasty response, Neville did his best to salvage the situation. "I was just saying that I can't wait to meet that new little boy of yours, and I miss my favorite lunch companion. How're they doing?"

Severus' expression softened some. "Very well, Professor Longbottom, thank you for asking. I'm sure Tamara would love to have you and Hannah join us for dinner in Peebles. Perhaps if you can get away some evening this weekend?"

Neville nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! Just say the word, and I'll make sure we're there."

Severus smiled stiffly, before casting one more disapproving glance at Sasha and walking away from them as quickly as he could go without looking like he was trying to run.

"Awkward" Neville whispered. "What the devil was that all about?"

Sasha sighed miserably. "It's a very long story."

"Well you can fill me in this evening over tea in the staff room, yeah?"

Sasha hesitated. She hadn't told anyone here about the unfortunate events of her school days here. She hadn't _planned_ on telling anyone either. He was a sweet young man though, and she could tell he genuinely cared. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have an ally.

"We'll see" she said. "That's the best I can do for now."

Severus dismissed his last class of the day and flopped rather ungracefully down in his office chair. The unpleasant encounter after lunch had been weighing heavily on his mind. _What in the world could she possibly want to talk about Tamara for?_

Though he knew that Longbottom was certainly only trying to be helpful, he didn't believe his younger colleague for a second. Neville had never been a very good liar, and Severus hadn't even needed legilimency to spot that his hasty explanation had been complete bullshit.

Up to now he had been mostly content to simply ignore and avoid Sasha in the castle. It had begun to look like maybe they could get through the year without having to face the past at all, simply by staying out of each other's way. Sure, there were a few uncomfortable moments here and there where they would accidentally venture into each other's view, but it was always quickly corrected. From what he had heard, she was doing very well with her classes, and the students were impressed with her. That was good news for him, because it meant that Minerva was unlikely to start pestering him again about helping her to acclimate.

The less the Headmistress new about he and Sasha's past involvement the better. Severus did not relish the idea of having to explain to Minerva that he and Sasha had spent several months as teenagers doing everything short of shagging each other nearly every night under the stars.

_No, you swore to yourself that wouldn't think about that anymore…_

Ah, but it was so hard to force those images back out of his mind once he'd let them slip in, even for a moment. In his youth, those nights with Sasha had seemed positively miraculous. He had lived for those nights, back then.

_She was always so soft and sweet and eager. She loved it when I would… No! No, that's enough of that Snape, you fool. You're a married man now, and that witch's lies broke your heart once already anyway. _

"And now she's asking about Tamara" he mumbled aloud, his eyes narrowing.

The idea of a past enemy snooping around for information about his wife made Severus extremely uneasy. How dare she inquire about Tamara? What business was his life of hers? It had been so many years since they had even spoken, and he had made it clear to her at that time that she was to stay away from him permanently. Whether his decision had been justified or not, it _had_ been his decision and she should respect that.

Later at home, he had, in spite of it making him very uncomfortable, decided to mention it to Tam herself and get her opinion. To his surprise, she laughed.

"Oh, for crying out loud Sev! So what if she asked Neville about me? Why do you care? Honestly in her position I'd have probably done the same thing. If your roles were reversed, wouldn't you want to find out about her spouse too, out of curiosity?"

He made a disgusted face. "Certainly not…"

She raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced, and he gave in.

"Oh all right, I suppose I would be a bit curious. I don't think she _has_ a spouse."

"No, but she lives with a guy in Paris" she said. "Min told me."

Severus' jaw dropped. He hadn't been aware of that.

Tam stared at him, not liking the look of hurt shock that had come across his face. Luckily for him, he recovered quickly.

"When were you discussing this situation with Minerva?" he asked, annoyed. He hoped she would assume that had been the only cause for his reaction.

"I sent her an owl last week. I just wanted to…" she started to snicker at the irony of it all. "I just wanted to know a little more about this woman who had you all upset. See what I mean about curiosity?"

Severus sighed. "Witches" he muttered. "You're all ridiculous. Darling, had it occurred to you that perhaps, by involving Minerva, you might be grievously violating my privacy?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't tell her anything juicy, so relax. I just said I wanted all she had to dish on the new teacher. That's all. I guess she lives with another Auror, a French guy, who she worked with. They've been together for years. She's also got a reputation as a real bad-ass over there. She's brought down some really nasty folks."

"And now she's digging for information about you" he pointed out. "It doesn't concern you at all?"

"No" she insisted. "It doesn't. Severus, you have to get over this. Do you have any idea how immature it all sounds? I dated people as a teenager too, and I barely remember them now. I don't know, or care, what they're doing or about anything that went on while we were dating or after. I realize that to you this… relationship, or whatever it was, was a big deal because it was the only one you had… but this has got to stop. You need to sit down with her and resolve all this mess because it's gone far enough. You're not a boy anymore."

He knew she was right. It really was quite ridiculous. Hadn't he made peace with the rest of his past? Black and Lupin he had forgiven long ago because they meant so much to Tamara, and Potter… well, Potter's actions had been atoned for by his son, hadn't they? The old feud meant very little now, when all those he had feuded with were now dead anyway. Even if Sasha had been hired by Potter, what did it matter now?

"You are, of course, completely right" he admitted. "I should just let it go."

"So you'll talk to her?" she pushed.

He made a face. "No. Why should I? I see no need to go further dredging up the past and perpetuating any more of this foolishness. It's time to simply forget it. Miss Innes may inquire about anything she likes, and you are right, it is of no consequence to us." Telling himself the he felt better, he put his arms around Tamara and squeezed her tightly to his chest.

"Severus, that's not solving anything" she said quietly, nuzzling his neck with her nose, enjoying the smell of him. "I know you don't want to, but you really should talk to her."

"I can't talk to her love" he whispered in her ear, feeling ashamed. "I really can't do that. I know it's pathetic, but I can't."

"I'll be back next week. Do you want me to do it? I'll be discreet, and non-confrontational. I'll simply ask her to tell me her side of what happened, and we'll go from there. Is that ok?"

He snickered, in spite of how he was feeling. "Just like dancing for the Slytherins" he muttered.

"What?" she laughed.

He was grinning now. "You saved me from that too, although you probably shouldn't have."

"That's true. I probably shouldn't be saving you from this either, but… I never could stand to see you suffer. I love you too much."

"Lucky for me" he teased, resting his head on hers.


	4. For Me, It Isn't Over

After having been given the G-rated Cliff notes of the saga of Sasha and Severus, Neville Longbottom sighed, and leaned back in his chair.

"Right. Well, that explains the awkwardness, I suppose."

Sasha snickered. "Indeed."

"Well, there's only one solution, of course" he said, giving her a sympathetic look. "You're just going to have to sit down with him and tell him the truth."

She broke into full laughter now. "Not bloody likely!" she insisted, shaking her head. "He didn't want to hear it then, and I doubt he'll want to hear it now. I think I'll just go on avoiding him for the year, thanks."

Neville grinned. "Oh come on, where's that auror pluck? Why should you have to forever be blamed for something you didn't do? You're not teenagers anymore. Remember what I said to you about fear?"

Recognizing that she had been issued a challenge, Sasha narrowed her eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have told you" she grumbled, earning her a laugh from her colleague.

"Oh, don't worry" he assured her. "I won't say a word to anyone if you decide to just carry on as usual, but… I really think you should set things right."

Sasha sighed. "What good would it really do? What difference can it possibly make, all these years later?"

He shrugged. "You might be surprised. It might make a big difference, honestly. If I'd had a friend, or especially a girlfriend, and I thought that she had betrayed me, I'd want to know the truth if it turned out she hadn't. It wouldn't matter how many years had passed. I'd want to know, and I'd want to apologize."

When Neville turned up at the Snape home for dinner, he had already made up his mind that he would put in a good word for Sasha. He wasn't sure how he would bring it up without upsetting Severus, but he felt it was worth the risk. He valued his own childhood friends so much that it disturbed him to think that a misunderstanding had created such a lasting rift.

"Tamara, that was delicious, thank you" said Neville, setting his napkin on the table. "I haven't had a Sunday roast like that in years."

Tam grinned. "Thank you Neville! It's a shame Hannah couldn't make it."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know she wants to see the baby. We'll pop by one of these days."

There was a cry from upstairs, and Severus stood abruptly. "Speaking of…" he smiled. "I'll get him, darling, you stay here."

Tam smiled at him. "Thanks." She turned back to her guest. "He's always been a great dad" she said. "Would you have ever imagined it, when you were sitting in his potions class?"

Neville laughed. "No, I can't say that I would have. Tamara… now that we're alone, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Sasha Innes?" she asked, smirking.

He looked surprised, but nodded. "Actually, yeah."

"Go for it" she urged him, curious about what he would have to tell her.

"She and I had a conversation the other day. She told me what happened between her and Severus. She didn't do it. She didn't do what he thought she did."

"She told you that?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She told me, and I believe her. She still feels bad, you know. She tries to avoid him because she doesn't think he'd ever want to hear the truth. I feel bad for her, and I thought maybe you'd be able to help mend their friendship."

Tam bit her lip, but snickered. "Ah. Did she tell you the nature of that _friendship_?"

Neville chuckled. "She gave me an idea" he admitted. "I know it's odd, me asking a man's wife to help me reunite him with his old girlfriend. I just think it would be good for the truth to be brought to light, you know? I think it would make them both feel better. It'd probably ease the tension in the staff room, anyway."

She nodded, amused. "I imagine it probably would. Yes. You're right. If she was really innocent then Severus should know it. I can't say I'm in love with the idea of Sev reconnecting with his old flame… but peace should be made. He doesn't want to talk to her. Do you think she'd be willing to meet with me? I'd like to hear her story."

Neville shrugged. "I don't know, she might. I'll try to encourage her. She didn't really even want to tell me, to be honest." He shook his head. "I've been trying to imagine what Severus was like as a teenager, but I just can't picture it. He seems like somebody who would've been _born_ all grown up!"

Tam didn't mention her conversation with Neville to Severus. She thought it was better to wait and see how things went when and if she had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Innes herself.

Tamara's first day back at Hogwarts was harder for her than she had expected it to be. She knew that Tharen was safe with Molly, and that helped, but it was still difficult to give up her new baby and the cozy warmth of her home to return to work.

"For someone who was so annoyed to be away from Hogwarts, you now seem rather reluctant to be back" Severus teased, hugging her in his office before their first classes.

She smiled and placed an affectionate kiss on his neck. "Yeah, yeah. I know. It's fine. I'll get over it. Poor Dody will have to give up her post today, whether I'm ready to take it back or not."

Dody did indeed seem rather disappointed to have to turn the classes back over to Tamara, but she put on a brave face anyway. Tam was impressed by the notebook full of lesson plans, and the three full rows of parchment describing everything that Dody had done with each class over Tam's maternity leave. There was no doubt that this girl would make a very successful professor one day, if she still found herself inclined to try.

In spite of Dody's efficiency and enthusiasm, Tam's students were all very glad to have her back. It seemed they preferred her casual, spontaneous, and admittedly a bit disorganized style of teaching.

During her free period before lunch, she made her way to the staff room to grab a cup of tea, and hopefully catch up on some Hogwarts gossip from whichever of her colleagues happened to be in there. She was a bit disappointed when she found that the room was empty.

"Oh well. I should finish reading Dody's notes anyway…" she mumbled to herself, settling in the back corner with her tea and a chocolate biscuit from the plate that someone had generously set out.

Sasha was also free this period, and she also found herself wishing for some tea. Her plan had initially been to get a cup for her and one for Neville, and take it to him in the greenhouse so she could hear about his dinner engagement at the Snape household. She was mid-pour on the second cup when the sound of a chair shifting alerted her to the fact that there was actually someone else in the room.

"Ouch…" she muttered, as the hot liquid that she had slopped on herself nicely welted the back of her hand.

It was then that the woman in the corner looked up, and their eyes met.

_Oh hell. Of all people to be in here at this exact moment, it would have to be her wouldn't it? Damn. _

Sasha quickly gathered up both cups and turned to make a hasty retreat.

"Miss Innes?" Tam called, not wanting to pass up the opportunity she had been hoping for.

_Bugger._

Sasha turned around slowly, doing her best to gather her composure. She'd been an Auror, for crying out loud, and she figured it was time to start acting like one.

"Yes?" she responded, pleased with the cold professionalism in her own voice.

Tamara smiled, red lipstick revealing perfectly straight, sparkling white teeth. Every silken strand of hair was exactly in its place, shining in the firelight. Her black sweater revealed taut, perfectly aligned cleavage that was far more youthful looking than the bosom of a forty-something year old woman with three children had any business being. In that instant, all of the uncomfortable feelings that had been simmering inside Sasha for the wife of her former love immediately came to a boil, and bubbled over into a white-hot mess of hatred and disgust that shocked even her with its intensity. She didn't care anymore what this woman had done, or whether or not she had saved his life and been good to him. She didn't even care that she had come to love and value her life with Remy. This woman had been given the life that Sashashould have had, and she obviously wasn't at all right for the part.

_She's not made for him at all. Even Lily made more sense than this. What was he thinking? _

"I thought so" Tam said warmly. "I'm Tamara Snape, and I've been hoping to run into you. Please, come and join me if you have a moment."

"Actually I'm afraid I don't, so it'll have to be another time. Good afternoon…"

Madam Snape stood up, and it took all of Sasha's self-control to keep from rolling her eyes at the too-short black skirt and knee-high suede high-heeled boots that were now making their way toward her.

"Oh, well, in that case, if you could just spare me a few seconds, I'd really like to have a word with you."

The two women were directly face to face now, with Tam standing a few inches above Sasha in her ridiculously impractical boots. The scent of a warm perfume wafted under Sasha's nose that was somehow both fruity and musky at the same time. Sasha swallowed hard and tried not to make a face.

Sensing that she wasn't going to get a reply either way, Tam pressed forward with what she had meant to say. "Severus thought we should speak" she explained. "He told me…" she paused awkwardly. "He told me that the two of you didn't really part on the best of terms when you were younger, and he's felt rather conflicted about it all since you've come back to Hogwarts. I was hoping that you and I could talk, and maybe you could tell me what happened from your point of view so that the air could be cleared, and that apologies could be made…"

"I've absolutely nothing to apologize _for _Madam" Sasha said stiffly, staring defiantly up into Tam's eyes. "I made some enemies at school, and when given the choice, Severus chose to believe them over me. As I understand it, his decision of who to trust, didn't end very well for him did it? A shame, really, but it was far beyond any control of mine. Now, as I said, I haven't got any more time to spare, so if you'll excuse me…"

Feeling triumphant at the rather gobsmacked look on the other woman's face, she quickly turned and made a brisk exit before Tamara could respond.

_There you are Witch. Take _that _back to your husband, why don't you?_

Tam wasted no time in dashing straight to the dungeons. The encounter hadn't gone _anything _like she had expected it to and her immediate instinct was to seek out Severus to recount her tale. Her hand was actually against the door of the potions classroom when she suddenly reconsidered.

His deep voice carried softly through the door, and she closed her eyes as she listened. He wasn't quite as harsh as he had been years ago, but he was still by far the most feared teacher in the castle. He refused to endure any nonsense in his classes, and he expected his students to listen the _first _time he told them. She liked to listen to him teach.

With a sigh, Tam lowered her hand from the door, and turned around to lean against it while she collected her thoughts. She believed the Innes woman. It was clear that Severus had been wrong about her. Honestly, if she thought about it, Tam knew that with the history she'd had, Sasha had every right to be miffed. It made perfect sense, but in spite of that, Tam couldn't imagine speaking to someone that way who she had only just met.

_Besides, I didn't do anything to her._

In spite of her discomfort, she decided that it really wasn't worth interrupting Sev's class over. Really, it probably served her right. She never should have volunteered to put herself into the middle of their old feud to begin with. She made up her mind to apologize to Sasha for speaking of the incident, and that all she would say to Severus was that she believed he owed Miss Innes an apology of his own.

* * *

_Real life hasn't been letting me write lately and I apologize for leaving everyone hanging. I will be getting back to this series (and my other stories) as soon as possible. Thanks for hanging in there with me!_


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